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Reno's Lime Scooters gone for now; this isn't the company's first time being shut out

The Nevada DMV told the RGJ that they classify the scooters as electric bicycles, but the cities want further conversation with the state's legal teams, said Sparks City Manager Steve Driscoll. Reno and UNR also want further conversations to get all the local governments on the same page, according to a city of Reno spokesperson.

Washoe County also echoed the cities' disappointment in the premature launch of the scooters and stands by their decision to stop Lime from continuing its scooter program.

"Our understanding was that the City of Reno and Lime were working through logistics of compliance with current regulations and we would be properly notified of a launch date," according to a Washoe County statement. "As stated in our agreement, 'the Contractor must demonstrate the ability to comply with local and state regulations and must notify users of requirements before use of the electric scooter.'"

Reno and Sparks also want more assurances and ordinances clarifying where the scooters should drive, park and how fast they should go. Some cities allow scooters on sidewalks, others do not. Some cities require helmets, including the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, while Reno and Sparks do not.

Driscoll said he wants the scooters to move slower than 15 mph to avoid hospitalizing citizens, such as what South Lake Tahoe has experienced during its Lime Scooter pilot program.

He was told Lime could throttle back the scooters' speed but did not see proof of this.

Lime is remaining silent on its reason for launching the scooters early other than to reiterate that local businesses in Midtown and Reno residents demanded the scooters alongside the Lime Bikes.

It could also be related to the company's investors injecting $335 million -- for a total value of $1.1 billion -- into its electric bike and scooter expansion.

"Uber is joining the current round, making a sizable investment," according to Lime's July investor announcement. "Uber will work with us as a strategic partner in the electric scooter space to offer people a greater variety of transportation modes at their fingertips and make it increasingly easy to live without a car."

"We are interested in working with the city and all of our partners in Northern Nevada to ensure continued services and the best result for all," according to a statement from Lime. "We believe the code authorizes scooter operations under our franchise agreement. We are committed to work with the city to find a solution."

More discussion at Sparks and Reno city council meetings will take place next week with Lime in attendance. Reno's city council agenda item includes "discussion and potential direction to staff regarding Lime operations, the future deployment of electric scooters and possible termination of the Dockless Bike Share System Franchise Agreement."

In the meantime, UNR's campus is still a no-Lime zone. The company put a red geofence around the campus meant to prevent scooter riders from ending their session and locking the device. But the Lime app cannot separate blocking scooter parking from bike parking so students, professors cannot ride bikes into campus.

"It was a surprise to us that Lime would choose to remove all Lime products, including bikes, when the electric stand-up scooters were the issue," according to a UNR spokesperson. "We are dismayed that Lime chose to take this drastic action, without any communication to the university."

For now, the Reno-area has to settle with pedal powered Lime Bikes, which all the government agencies agree work just fine.

Mike Higdon is the city life reporter at the RGJ and can be found on Instagram @MillennialMike, on Facebook at Mike Higdon, Reno Life and on Twitter @MikeHigdon.